Bob Woodward testified under oath on Monday in the Plame Leak case. Apparently, “a senior administration official,” in mid-June of 2003 casually told Woodward “that Plame worked as a CIA analyst on weapons of mass destruction.” Woodward, keeper of the Deep Throat identity for three decades, claimed “he did not believe the information to be classified or sensitive.” RIGHT.

Of course this all comes out now, more than a year after disclosures of this sort might have swayed voter’s opinions in the ‘04 presidential election. How convenient is that? A couple of weeks ago, I posted about this issue here: How the Mainstream Media Got Bush Re-elected – And Screwed America.

Citing a confidentiality agreement in which the source freed Woodward to testify but would not allow him to discuss their conversations publicly, Woodward and Post editors refused to disclose the official’s name or provide crucial details about the testimony. Woodward did not share the information with Washington Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr. until last month, and the only Post reporter whom Woodward said he remembers telling in the summer of 2003 does not recall the conversation taking place.

Now the WaPo reports that Woodward’s testimony could get Libby off the hook somewhat or atleast change the order of who told who, when — by implicating “the unnamed official.”

Woodward’s testimony appears to change key elements in the chronology Fitzgerald laid out in his investigation and announced when indicting Libby three weeks ago. It would make the unnamed official — not Libby — the first government employee to disclose Plame’s CIA employment to a reporter. It would also make Woodward, who has been publicly critical of the investigation, the first reporter known to have learned about Plame from a government source.

The testimony, however, does not appear to shed new light on whether Libby is guilty of lying and obstructing justice in the nearly two-year-old probe or provide new insight into the role of senior Bush adviser Karl Rove, who remains under investigation.

Apparently, Woodward also testified about a third “unnamed source, however, “he told Fitzgerald that he does not recall discussing Plame with this person when they spoke on June 20, 2003.”

Woodward’s statement about his testimony in the WaPo can be found here.

Obviously, Woodward is totally shilling for the Bush administration. He’s currently working on a third book on the Bush administration and “has called Fitzgerald “a junkyard-dog prosecutor” who turns over every rock looking for evidence.”

The night before Fitzgerald announced Libby’s indictment, Woodward said he did not see evidence of criminal intent or of a major crime behind the leak.

“When the story comes out, I’m quite confident we’re going to find out that it started kind of as gossip, as chatter,” he told CNN’s Larry King.

Woodward also said in interviews this summer and fall that the damage done by Plame’s name being revealed in the media was “quite minimal.”

At this point, the pulse of America does not quite agree with Mr. Woodward’s assertion that damage was “quite minimal.” Niether do some former Intel Officials, as Brad Blog reports.

RELATED POST: Woodward Apologizes for his Secret.

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